Cpscificatioh



UNiTso STATES PATENT EUGENE DU FONT, OF WILMINGTON, DELAXVARE, ASSIGNQR TO F. DU PONP DE NEMOURS & (10., OF SAME PLACE.

EXPLG$EVE COM POUND SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters-Patent No. 363,887 slated May 31, 188"? Application filed June 5, 1885, Serial X0. 167,7-17. (No sp cimens.)

T aZZ whom it may concern: of powder nntl that portion which forms the 0 Be it known that l, EUGENE DU Pom. a cltismoke. zen of the United States, residing at Wilming Thus I employ in place of the carbon usually ton, in the county of New Castle and State of used in the composition of explosive powders 5 Delawarehaveinventedanew and useful Comthe substances known as cnrhohyiiratesj pound, principally for use in guns of medium and which have the chemical formula of celluand largecaliher, of which the following is a lose, (0 5, 0 or an approach to it--sueh no The first object of my invention is to obtain stances, such as sugar, having substantially 10 an explosive which shall have great ballistic the chemical formula of G,. .l:l.,,0,,. All such force, and its second object is to obtain a powsubstances having si'ibstuntielly the formulas 6Q derwhich shall obviate, as far as possible, the aforesaid, and the capacity of lormingweter mamy disadvantages pertaining in a greater or and steam by the action of the explosion, i term lessdegreeto all artilleryexp1osives,andwhich in this specification carbohydrates. in-

consists in the smoke arising from the burning stead of using one substance having '5 re:

powder, such smoke obscuring the view and quire chemical fOlllllllil, two or more 6 interfering with the sighting for e seeonii shot. used having the elements l Y I have found by experiment that substances which, when liberated, will combine to form hnvingin thciroomponcnt partstheelemcnls of steam anti-not in the innnner z'eqnirelfi.

hydrogen and oxygen in such proporvions that, The materials shouhl be mixed. in zelyupon being released from the rest of the comdivided condition, and it is better to n ponent parts by combustion,they will combine carbohydrates with the other ingrorii to form water and steam, and greatly increase the powder after such other'ingredie t the explosive for of the powtler'ol which they been mixed, as such carbohydrates opt to form a constituen element, The act-ion of such be gummy in their nature,

powders fseems to he as follows: Upon firing I have found, for example, that very efthe charge the gases confined in the powderare fcctive powder may he made oi the following, released and act to expel by thei expansion substances, in substantially the proportions the projectile toward the muzzle of the gun. specified, viz: 'Elnltpeter, (for which other ThisIterm the first explosion. it stime known nitrates may he snhstitutorh) seventythe oxygen and hydrogen ererelcased as gases, eight parts; sulphur, 2.8 to 3 ports; on *Olljfbut under too great heat to unite in the form rlrstes, three to four )nrts; churconl 1' training of steam. As the pressure is decreased by [he its iiorous structure, 1:2 or 5 pa ts. This motionofthe projectileinthegumthishentaiso powder, to be most effective, should he nizule 35 decreases, and the (oxygen and hydro in prismaticgrnins. and l have l'ouml that the gen) unite in the form 01' water. The heat best results obtained so cons noting generntedly this union at once changes the said grains that they are less dense in mitt water into steam, anal this expansion, which dle than at the ends, which therefore have the takes )lecehefore thcproject-ilc leavesthe muz particles more compacted together at those 40 zle of the gun, I term the "second explosion. points than in the middle. My method of There is thus formed a powder of great explomaking these grains of such varying density c sive force which acts twice upon the projectis described. in. an application for Letters Patile. I have also found that such powders are out tiled August 12, 1885, Serial No. 167,749.

very effective in dissipating the smoke arising; Such form and construction of the grains refrom the discharge, owing, as I suppose. to the torus the development of the from comfact'that the steam, generated as above stated, bustion until it is desired to obtain the maxicondenses, and in so doing absorbs largeqnanmum force, and I find that the fibers of the .tities of the carbonate of potash, the solid porcharcoal retainingits fibrous structurereferrcll tion of the result of decomposition of a charge to muterinllyuid in this result, as they tend to prevent the grains 0%- wwdmjrom becoming bmken up. The use of charcoal retaining its salfipater,sulphmgeharcsalrezvainingitsfibrmm fibrous structure, as above referred $0, forms structure, and sugar, wmmnthfly the the subject of an applicatien for Letters Pat portions specifiad.

5 ent filed June 5, 1885, Serial N 0. 167.7%,

2. An explosive compound consisiiug 01" hai; 1 claim is- EUGEE E BU PGEIEZ. 1. An e'zzpiosive'comyminfl conaistizag of a I nifirate, an 3911:12 charcoal retainirsg iis-fibrous 'Wifinesses: structiire, and a car-bohydimte, substantially J. E: HKNDON HYDE, v 10 as dessribed, v THOMAS'HUIQT. 

